New Yorkers Have A Chance To Stay Overnight At FAO Schwarz Thanks To Airbnb

Airbnb and FAO Schwarz have teamed up to offer a one night stay at the toy store for a New York City family

FAO Schwarz is undoubtably the most recognizable toy store in the world. The iconic New York City business has been around since the late 1800s and millions of children and adults have experienced its magic and made family memories there. Obviously, one of the more popular times of the year to visit FAO is during the holidays. While things look a bit different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures, the company has partnered with Airbnb to offer one New York City family the experience of a lifetime: to stay overnight in the toy store.

One lucky family will get to stay overnight at FAO Schwarz on December 21 in what has been named “A Night of Whimsy and Wonder at FAO Schwarz.” Booking for the exciting evening at FAO will open at 12 p.m. EST on December 15. And get this: it will cost you just $25. There is one catch, however. You have to be a New York City resident and be able to prove it with a valid government ID.

“Get ready to cozy up amidst towers of toys and games galore for a holiday celebration unlike any other,” the Airbnb listing reads. “The 20,000-square-foot flagship store is yours for the evening — and with it, private access to the store’s world of theater, imagination and wonder, along with memories to last you and your family a lifetime.”

You will begin your evening being greeted by the store’s trademark FAO Schwarz toy soldier, where you will get to tour the two-story toy wonderland, “where countless games, puzzles and toys are completely yours for the night.”

Meals — both dinner on the day you arrive and breakfast on your departure day — will be served in the dining room of wall-to-wall candy. “After playing up an appetite, you can enjoy your scrumptious meals as a toy train goes round and round the table,” they add.

You will then head to the living room, where you will be surrounded by plush, life-sized stuffed animals that you can cuddle while lounging on velvet sofas and faux fur rugs. Of course, the Giant Dance On Piano that Tom Hanks made famous in Big will be yours for the playing. Or, you can just “warm up by the electric fireplace while admiring the extraordinary, 75-foot tree just outside your window in Rockefeller Plaza.”

Now, onto the bedroom. You will sleep in “a larger-than-life sleigh bed for adults and bunk beds for children – with a slide – set the stage for a family sleepover sure to inspire visions of sugar plums.”

Other highlights include a music lesson on the store’s iconic Giant Dance On Piano, an opportunity to build a plush toy and a remote-controlled car of your own design – and then race it down the aisles of FAO Schwarz, and an immersive science experiment guided by the store’s Professor Atlas. And finally, the icing on the cake is that you will get a store credit to buy whatever you want to bring home.

Airbnb and FAO Schwarz promise the whole experience will be COVID safe, “in accordance with Airbnb’s five-step enhanced cleaning process and handbook, which is informed by guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help ensure your safety during this socially-distanced staycation.”

And, you can also be comforted that this is a gift that keeps on giving, as Airbnb will make a one-time donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, FAO Schwarz’ non profit partner.